Records Fall as Dips Out-last Garnet
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- Swarthmore volleyball closed off its 2007 season with a tough 3-2 loss to visiting Franklin & Marshall Saturday afternoon at Tarble Pavilion. The Garnet finish the season at 9-18, 4-6 CC.
Swarthmore was able to capture the first game 30-27 before dropping the next two by scores of 33-31 and 30-22. The Garnet rebounded to dramatically win the fourth game 30-28 before F&M captured the match with a 15-10 triumph in the decisive fifth game to improve their record to 19-10, 6-4 CC.
F&M received strong play throughout the team as four players accumulated double-doubles. Sophomore outside hitter Maritza Fair (Bronx, N.Y. / The Nightingale – Bamford School) led the way for the victors with 10 digs and a match-high 28 kills. Junior Margot Phelan (Ellicott City, Mary. / Centennial) racked up 16 kills and 14 digs. Setters Valerie Pusateri ’09 (Ellicott City, Mary. / Chapelgate Christian Academy) and Pamela Horner ’11 (Springfield, Va. / Robert E. Lee) recorded theirs through assist (45 and19 respectively) and dig totals (13 and 15 respectively).
Swarthmore captain librero Erin Heaney ’09 (Buffalo, N.Y. / City Honors) (pictured above) tallied 19 digs to bring her season total to 492 and break the school record for digs in a season previously held by current assistant coach Patrice Berry ’06 who had 488. Junior Jen Wang (Palo Alto, Calif. / Henry Gunn) tied the school record for kills in a season by matching Erica George’s ’07 mark of 319. Wang notched her 15th double-double of the year with 15 kills and 15 digs in the match.
Senior middle Karen Berk (Havertown, Pa. / Haverford) etched her place in school and Conference history, picking up her 448th career block vs. the Diplomats. Berk completes her career third all-time in the Centennial for career blocks while holding school records for blocks in a season (133) and all of the career totals—solo (163), assisted (285) and total (448).
The Garnet also received double digit kills from Johanna Bond ’10 (Pittsford, N.Y. / Pittsford-Sutherland) (12), Vanessa Wells ’08 (Chicago, Ill. / Lincoln Park) (11), and captain Katherine Gold ’08 (Cherry Hill, N.J. / Cherry Hill East) (11). Kearney Bangs ’10 (Kingston, Wash. / North Kitsap) continued her strong play as setter by putting up 43 assists.
Swarthmore came out of the locker room on fire as they posted a 7-0 lead in the first game to take control capped by a kill from Berk. The Diplomats fought back to tie the score at 16 when Fair was able to find a hole in the Garnet defense. The teams went back and forth until the Garnet took control with a Wells block and Wang kill to secure the first game by the score of 30-27.
The second game was the most competitive of the five seeing nine ties and five lead changes. The Garnet fell behind early, but was able to tie the score at 11 before taking a 26-22 lead. Following a timeout, the Diplomats were able to avoid game point twice to even the score at 29. Needing to win by two, F&M was able to put together two consecutive successful rallies to avoid falling behind two games to none by winning 33-31.
The Diplomats were able to carry the momentum into the third game by taking a 5-1 lead. Swarthmore fought back valiantly to tie the score at 15, but were unable to handle consistent Diplomat play as they fell 30-22.
The fourth game was a must for Swarthmore to extend the match, and they did so by taking command early and fighting off a late surge by the visitors. Two successive service aces by Heaney and a kill from Gold put the Garnet up 17-13. F&M was able to tie the score a couple times, but were unable to take the lead outright. An important kill by Berk closed the game and excited the crowd as the match was all even at two games apiece thanks to a 30-28 Garnet win.
The decisive fifth game started out close as the score was tied at 9-all. F&M then called timeout and ran off 6 of the next 7 points to win the match highlighted by back-to-back blocks. The final count ended up 15-10 in favor of the Diplomats.
Swarthmore looks to build upon its strengths and work on weaknesses as they look forward to the 2008 campaign. The Garnet will also have to fill the void left by seniors Wells, Berk and Gold as they finished off their collegiate careers.